Chapter Text
Heavy rain. Blackened skies. Thunder.
All of this was awaiting Stiles when he walks out of here. There is no hope. No blue skies and sunshine.
Not for him.
It had been 6 months since he had landed himself into juvie. It wasn't his fault. Not really.
Stiles always happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. It had always been like that.
Ever since the death of his father 2 years ago Stiles was getting into trouble. With no relatives willing to take in a hyper, overactive kid like Stiles it meant only one thing.
The foster system.
Stiles thought he knew about the foster system. It was hell, it broke children and turned them into the future criminals of society.
Turns out, Stiles knew nothing.
The foster system was so much worse.
Physical, sexual and mental abuse plagued Stiles’s life for almost two years before he snapped, beating his foster father with a baseball bat.
He didn't mean to hurt him so badly but after so much abuse Stiles finally cracked.
He didn't get long in juvie.
Turns out that once you’re in the foster system the world just expects you to be a screw up.
It was okay that Stiles beat someone with a baseball bat because he was in the foster system, which for some reason, in the eyes of the judge meant he was meant to be a crazy loser.
Stiles is not crazy.
Juvie was hard. Long hours in the confinements of his cell, fighting constantly in the courtyard but Stiles did his best to keep his head down and make it through his sentence.
All so he could get to today.
To his freedom.
But what was he going back too?
Stiles didn't have any friends or family that wanted him. He couldn't get the life insurance his father left him for another two years, not until his 18th birthday.
Stiles has nothing.
Nothing except probably a shitty group home that would lead to more bad memories.
Stiles finally understood how children become criminals.
It's not their fault.
Sometimes you just have to fight back or risk drowning.
STEREK
Talia Hale was a saint.
She was beautiful, smart and in the eyes of many, a woman who could do no wrong.
She was the perfect mother to both her biological son Derek and his adopted brother Isaac. She was the perfect sister to her screw up brother. The perfect social worker to all her clients.
Yet at this very moment, Talia is troubled. After agreeing to meet with her friend Deputy Jordan Parrish, Talia was left feeling lost at what she should do.
Parrish slowly slide the case file of one Stiles Stilinski towards her.
Smart kids, great grades, perfect file. Until John Stilinski, his father, was killed in the line of duty.
Bouncing from one foster home to the next, Stiles grades slipped. His attendance at school was pretty much nonexistence.
His perfect record forever ruined by the actions between Stiles and his foster father.
The file didn't go into much detail on the matter, frankly whoever was Stiles social worker should really be out of a job.
Talia felt for this boy.
Life truly wasn’t fair to some.
Which left her in this predicament.
"Talia, I would take him in myself but I don't have the room, nor can I be around enough to make sure he has the support he needs." Deputy Parrish looked distraught, clearly upset with the inability to care for his former bosses’ son.
"He is a great kid, bright and full of so much life. He just needs someone to give him a chance. I know you are on the system, after Isaac it would be no problem for you to get Stiles placed with you."
Talia was silent, letting Deputy Parrish say what he needed to before addressing the situation. Parrish looked away from her, running a hand through his hair in frustration.
"He is a good kid. He just needs a chance. You could save him.”
You could save him.
Talia knew as soon as Parrish said that words that she didn’t have a hope of refusing him. Talia had always been the type of women to try and save everyone. That’s why she put up with her brother.
Talia finished flipping through Stiles’s file, the last page having a photo of the boy. Surprisingly not his mug shot but rather a photo that Deputy Parrish must have placed in there to persuade her to say yes.
Doe eyes filled with so much life. Talia couldn’t allow herself to leave the boy after seeing this photo. She didn’t want him to lose that light.
Sighing she looked at the deputy.
“When does the boy get released?”
STEREK
Today was judgement day for Stiles. That is what he had started calling it over the last few weeks. The guidance counsellor called it the first good day for the rest of his life but nothing was good about today.
After being stripped, patted down and then given clothing to change into, Stiles was motioned to an empty room, that had only two sets and a table in it, to wait for his social worker.
Stiles never understood why someone would choose to be a social worker if they obviously hated children. Ms Umbridge was a clueless, bitter old hag who was the number one reason that Stiles had been stuck in this shit hole. If she had just listened to Stiles about the abuse, if she had done something, anything then none of this would have happened.
But she didn’t. She didn’t save him and so Stiles was forced to save himself.
Waiting in the bright, empty room was exhausting. Stiles just wanted to be picked up, sent off and then he could figure out his next move.
He would need to find a job, maybe quit school for a bit until he could get himself on his feet and get an apartment. He just needed to hold out for two more years and then everything would be fine.
Caught up in his own thought Stile’s didn’t hear the door open.
He was brought out of his thoughts when the chair screeched against the floor and a beautiful woman sat down.
“Stiles, right?” She was pretty with brown hair, freckles littering her face and soft eyes. She was definitely not his social worker.
Looking at the beautiful women Stiles nodded his head dumbly. What could she be doing here?
“My name is Talia Hale. I was sent here by your father’s deputy Jordan Parrish. He has asked for me to take you in.” Talia looked the boy over, noticing the clear differences between the photo Parrish had shown her and the boy in front of her.
He was thinner, his hair no longer styled, his eyes which had seemingly lost all innocence were surrounded by dark circles from lack of sleep. “I’ve read over your file and I know this have hard on you but I think you could have a real chance if you choose to live with me. I have two sons that are your age so you wouldn’t be alone.”
Stiles was silent, unsure of what to say.
Talia frowned. “Would you like to come home with me?”
Stiles didn’t know what to say. Who was this lady? Why would she want anything to do with Stiles when no one else did? And if Jordan cared that much, why wasn’t he here taking Stiles in?
“Why?”
Talia’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
“Why do you want me to live with you? No one else wants me.”
Talia’s heart broke for the boy. She remembered when Isaac had first come into her life, a broken boy with so much potential. Stiles was just like him.
“Sometimes we need help. Sometimes we need people to want us Stiles. I want you.”
Stiles felt a lump in his throat. It had been a long time since someone had wanted him.
“I promise that I will do everything to protect you and if you find that you don’t want to live with me I can arrange something else for you. However, I feel like this would be good for you.”
Stiles didn’t really have much of a choice so he simply nodded his head. Anything was better than spending the night in a group home or on the streets.
The beautiful women smiled and elegantly got up from her seat.
“Shall we go then?”
STEREK
The car ride was silent. Talia didn’t want to push the boy who was obviously struggling and Stiles didn’t want to open his mouth and say something stupid.
He knew he just needed to keep his mouth shut and not ruin this. God knows he could be doing worse than sitting in a SUV on the way to Mrs Hale’s house.
The car ride took a little over an hour however for Stiles it appeared it was over within minutes. The built up, burned out city area was quickly replaced by trees and small houses.
The small town of Beacon Hills was unlike anything that Stiles had ever seen.
It was beautiful.
Pulling up to a double story house, Talia quickly ushers Stiles inside.
“I’ll give you the grand tour after dinner but for now let me show you to the room you will be staying in.” Walking up a flight of stairs Stiles was shown to his new room.
It was a nice room with a king size bed, a study table and a big set of draws. “I know it’s not much but we can go shopping over the next few days and grab you a few things such as clothes or any other items you may need.”
Stiles took a few steps into the room, dropping his bag next to the door. He was in awe that this room was meant to be his. This wasn’t like any foster home Stiles had ever experienced.
Usually it’s one room with a singular bed for multiple people with dirty sheets and yellow celling’s.
Turning to Talia he felt tears spring to his eyes but he held them back. “Thank you.”
Talia smiled at him softly. “It’s quite alright Stiles. Now just so you know both myself, my brother and my son Isaac all sleep down stairs while your room is across from my other son Derek’s room.”
She motioned to the door directly adjacent to his. “If I am not home or you need anything, feel free to knock on Derek’s door. I will be having a family meeting shortly to let everyone know about your arrival and then we will have some dinner. Maybe start unpacking your stuff and then meet me down stairs.”
Talia gave Stiles a reassuring smile and that walked out of the room. Slowly Stiles picked up his bag and walked to the bed and sat down.
Stiles had a rule. No unpacking.
It had been his lifeline when living in the foster homes. You never knew when you would be gone again so there was no point in unpacking.
But maybe, just maybe it would be okay to unpack this time.
Turning to the set of draws Stiles opened them and began putting what little clothes he had into them. After a few minutes, he heard loud feet thumping into the room.
“Mum have you seen my basket- “
Walking through the door was a boy, probably the same age as Stiles. Brown hair, green eyes and a face that was probably carved from gold.
Surprised at seeing a random stranger in the spare room the boy looked Stiles up and down. Stiles felt his cheeks redden and the boy smirked.
“And who are you?”
Holy shit.
Stiles is so screwed.